Brahminy Blind Snake - Ramphotyphlops braminus
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Florida's Nonnative Wildlife. Species detail.
First year: 1979
Extirpated year:
Established status: Populations
are confirmed breeding and apparently self-sustaining for 10 or
more consecutive years.
Estimated Florida range: 11
counties At least 10 years, 4 counties Less than 10
years, 5 counties Not reported breeding
Statewide trend: Expanding
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Photograph by Kevin M. Enge © 2003
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Threats to natives: None known or
likely.
Species Account: This is the most
widespread terrestrial snake species in the world due to its
parthenogenetic mode of reproduction (all-female populations) and
close association with humans (Wynn et al. 1987). It might be
native to Asia but has been spread via the shipment of potted
plants throughout tropical and subtropical parts of the world. This
is a small, very slender snake that resembles a wiry worm and
burrows in loose moist soil, primarily for termites and ant pupae.
It can be found in large numbers under surface debris (Bartlett
1997), and it has been found in Dade County pine rocklands under
the bark and rotten interiors of standing dead slash pine trees (K.
M. Enge, FFWCC, Quincy, personal observation). It is less than 16.5
cm (6 in) long, has a blunt rounded tail that resembles the head,
has no constriction at the neck, and has vestigial eyes that appear
as black dots beneath translucent scales. The back is dark gray,
brown, or black. The belly is lighter, and white to buffy yellow
coloration may be present on the snout, lower lips, chin, throat,
tail tip, and anal area (Conant and Collins 1991).
Habitats: Exotic plant community,
Low density suburban development, areas peripheral to core urban
areas, and small towns, Agricultural habitat, Recently disturbed,
early successional community, Rockland Hammock, Pine Rockland,
Flatwoods, Mesic Hammocks
|
| Region |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| SOUTH |
1982 |
|
At least 10 years |
|
| County |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| ALACHUA |
1998 |
|
Not reported breeding |
Gainesville (Townsend et al. 2002) |
| BROWARD |
2000 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Davie (Krysko et al. 2000) |
| COLLIER |
2001 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Marco Island (Krysko et al., in press) |
| DADE |
1987 |
|
At least 10 years |
Coral Gables (Wynn et al. 1987) |
| HIGHLANDS |
1993 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Lake Placid (Meshaka 1994) |
| LEE |
1991 |
|
At least 10 years |
Fort Myers (Conant and Collins 1991) |
| LEON |
1999 |
|
Not reported breeding |
Two road-killed specimens found in Killearn Estates,
Tallahassee (D. G. Cook, 1999, FFWCC, Tallahassee, personal
communication) |
| MONROE |
1982 |
|
At least 10 years |
Old Town, Key West (Ehrig 1990) |
| ORANGE |
2000 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Winter Park (Ernst and Brown 2000) |
| PALM BEACH |
1987 |
|
At least 10 years |
16 km W of South Bay (Delorey and Mushinsky 1987) |
| PINELLAS |
1992 |
|
Less than 10 years |
St. Petersburg (Crawford and Somma 1993) |
| SEMINOLE |
1998 |
|
Not reported breeding |
Casselberry (Owen et al. 1998) |
| BREVARD |
2004 |
|
Not reported breeding |
West Melbourne (Grace and Van Dyke 2004) |
| HILLSBOROUGH |
2003 |
|
Less than 10 years |
Tampa (Hennessy and Michalak 2004) |
| CITRUS |
2002 |
|
Not reported breeding |
Inverness (Krysko et al., in press) |
References
Austin, D. F., and A. Schwartz. 1975. Another
exotic amphibian in Florida, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Copeia
1975:188.
Bartlett, D. 1997. A search for the obscure.
Reptiles Magazine 5(7):32-38.
Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide
to amphibians and reptiles of eastern and central North America.
Third edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
450pp.
Crawford, D. M., and L. A. Somma. 1993.
Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy blind snake). Herpetological
Review 24:68.
Delorey, C. J., and H. R. Mushinsky. 1987.
Ramphotyphlops bramina (Brahminy blind snake). Herpetological
Review 18:56.
Ehrig, R. W. 1990. Ramphotyphlops braminus
(Brahminy blind snake). Herpetological Review 21:41.
Ernst, C. H., and C. W. Brown. 2000. Ramphotyphlops
braminus (Brahminy blind snake). Herpetological Review 31:256.
Grace, M. S., and J. U. Van Dyke. 2004. Geographic
distribution: Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy blind snake).
Herpetological Review 35:293-294.
Hennessy, K. C., and M. Michalak. 2004. Geographic
distribution: Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy blind snake).
Herpetological Review 35:193.
Krysko, K. L., J. N. Decker, and A. T. Reppas.
2000. Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy blind snake).
Herpetological Review 31:256.
Krysko, K. L., K. M. Enge, J. H. Townsend, E. M.
Langan, S. A. Johnson, and T. S. Campell. In Press. New county
records of amphibians and reptiles from Florida. Herpetological
Review.
Meshaka, W. E., Jr. 1994. Ramphotyphlops braminus
Brahminy blind snake. Herpetological Review 25:34.
Owen, R. D., D. T. Bowman, Jr., and S. A. Johnson.
1998. Ramphotyphlops braminus (Brahminy blind snake).
Herpetological Review 29:115.
Wynn, A. H., C. J. Cole, and A. L. Gardner. 1987.
Apparent triploidy in the unisexual Brahminy blind snake,
Ramphotyphlops braminus. American Museum Novitates 2868:1-7.
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